1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for inspecting a film carrier tape for mounting electronic component which finally inspects the defect of an appearance before shipment of a film carrier tape for mounting electronic component (TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) tape, a T-BGA (Tape Ball Grid Array) tape, a CSP (Chip Size Package) tape, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) tape, a COF (Chip on Film) tape, a 2 metal (double-sided wiring) tape, a tape for multilayer wiring and the like) (which will be hereinafter referred to as a “film carrier tape for mounting electronic component) and then displays the defect of a product on a defective product through punching or the like, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
Although a demand for a printed wiring board for mounting an electronic component such as an IC (an integrated circuit) or an LSI (a large scale integrated circuit) has rapidly been increased with the development of an electronics industry, a reduction in a size and a weight and an enhancement in a function of an electronic apparatus have been required. For a method for mounting these electronic components, recently, a mounting method using film carrier tapes for mounting electronic component such as a TAB tape, a T-BGA tape and an ASIC tape has been employed. In particular, an importance has been increased in an electronic industry using a liquid crystal display (LCD) in which an enhancement in fineness, a reduction in a thickness and a decrease in the area of the frame of a liquid crystal screen are demanded, for example, a personal computer.
In such a film carrier tape for mounting electronic component, quality thereof has been inspected. Conventionally, there has been executed an inspecting method for carrying out a visual inspection to be a human visual inspection (a transmitted light inspection or a reflected light inspection) and displaying a defect for a defective product through punching, inking, dry ink or the like as a result of various quality inspections of a disconnection, a short circuit, a dent (i.e. reducing portion of wiring lead width), a projection and furthermore a pattern defect thereof, a plating defect, a deformation of the shape of the tape, and a defect of solder resist and the like.
For this reason, there has conventionally been proposed an inspecting apparatus in which a film carrier tape for mounting electronic component in one strip provided with one or more electronic component mounting portion in a transverse direction is unwound out of an unwinding device. Further, in the conventional inspecting apparatus, a predetermined inspection in an inspecting section is carried out and the same tape is taken up by a take-up device (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-35891, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-227401, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-182061, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-256278 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-92692).
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, in a conventional inspecting apparatus 100, a film carrier tape 102 for mounting electronic component in one strip, which is provided with one or more electronic component mounting portion in a transverse direction, is wound upon an unwinding reel 104. The unwinding reel 104 is attached to an unwinding shaft 108 of an unwinding device 106, so that the film carrier tape 102 for mounting electronic component is unwound out of the unwinding device 106.
The film carrier tape 102 for mounting electronic component which is unwound out of the unwinding device 106, is subjected to a visual inspection in an inspecting section 110, for example. Then, if a defective portion is present, a defect is displayed by a defect display device 112 such as punching.
After the visual inspection and the defect displaying step are ended, thus, the film carrier tape 102 for mounting electronic component is wound upon a take-up reel 118 attached to a take-up shaft 116 of a take-up device 114.
In the method in which the film carrier tape 102 for mounting electronic component in one strip is unwound out of the unwinding device 106 and in which the predetermined inspection in the inspecting section 110 is carried out and in which the film carrier tape 102 is taken up by means of the take-up device 114, however, the inspection is carried out in every strip in the inspecting section 110.
As a result, the film carrier tape 102 for mounting electronic component, which can be inspected one at a time, is the film carrier tape wound upon one reel. Under the existing circumstances in which a mass production is required, therefore, an inspection efficiency is still more insufficient.
In a method for manufacturing a film carrier tape for mounting electronic component, moreover, a film carrier tape for mounting electronic component, which is provided with a plurality of electronic component mounting portions in multiple strips in a transverse direction (so-called “multiple take-up”), has recently been manufactured in order to enhance productivity.
When such a film carrier tape for mounting electronic component in multiple strips is to be inspected, a slit step of previously cutting the film carrier tape into individual film carrier tapes for mounting electronic component in strips is carried out by using a slit device and an inspection is executed every strip for the film carrier tape thus slit.
More specifically, a warpage is generated in the transverse direction of the film carrier tape for mounting electronic component in multiple strips. For this reason, an accurate inspection cannot be carried out. Moreover, when the film carrier tapes for mounting electronic component in multiple strips are slit after a visual inspection, it is necessary to carry out again an inspection for an inner lead bend, a flaw, a foreign matter and the like. Furthermore, the slit step is carried out before the inspection due to the restrictions on the equipment of a user. The inspection is executed of every strip for the slit film carrier tape.